Latest news with #Hill's
Associated Press
6 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
HILL'S PET NUTRITION AND KITTEN LADY HANNAH SHAW TEAM UP TO HELP SAVE MORE KITTENS AND SUPPORT SHELTERS DURING BUSY KITTEN SEASON
Initiative aims to reduce fostering barriers and support shelters facing an uptick in tiny felines during this critical time OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Every spring and summer, animal shelters across the country face a surge of vulnerable kittens in need of care—a time known as 'kitten season.' According to Shelter Animals Count, kittens under five months made up 57% of all feline shelter intakes last year, with neonates (kittens under four weeks old) requiring intensive, around-the-clock care. This overwhelming demand often strains already-stretched shelter resources, leaving many kittens at risk without community support. To address this critical issue, Hill's Pet Nutrition —backed by a 22-year commitment to shelter pets through its Food, Shelter & Love program —has teamed up with award-winning kitten rescuer and educator Hannah Shaw (aka Kitten Lady) to rally support for kittens and shelters on the frontlines. The collaboration aims to inspire more people to foster by equipping them with valuable resources that instill confidence while highlighting the critical role of nutrition in every kitten's journey. How Fostering Works – and How Easy It Can Be Despite the lifesaving impact of fostering, only 1 in 10 Americans have ever fostered pets, according to findings from the upcoming Hill's 2025 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report. Fostering is a rewarding way to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable kittens while addressing a great need for shelters and rescues. Most shelters typically provide everything a foster needs from food and supplies to veterinary care, removing any financial barriers so fosters only need to provide the love and care. 'Having fostered over 1,000 animals, I've seen firsthand how impactful fostering can be,' said Shaw. 'By opening your home to a kitten in need, you're not only giving them a better life but also helping shelters focus their resources where they're needed most. Fostering doesn't require any special experience—just a loving heart and a willingness to help. I'm proud to partner with Hill's to show how accessible and rewarding it can be to foster.' How Hill's Supports Shelters and Fosters For more than 20 years, Hill's has been a partner to shelters, providing vital, high-quality nutrition to more than 1,000 shelters in North America and helping more than 15 million pets find new homes. Many Hill's-supported shelters offer complimentary Hill's Science Diet Kitten foods to foster families, ensuring that kittens receive the specialized nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Once kittens are ready for adoption, Hill's continues to support their healthy start by offering New Pet Parent Kits, which include a starter bag of Hill's Science Diet food and helpful resources for new pet parents. 'Nutrition plays a vital role in a kitten's early development, and early exposure to a variety of food textures and flavors is key,' said Lisa Restine, DVM, DABVP (feline), feline professional veterinary affairs manager at Hill's Pet Nutrition. 'Hill's Science Diet Kitten foods are carefully formulated with balanced minerals to support growing bones and teeth and an antioxidant blend of Vitamins C & E to support developing immune systems. Science Diet Kitten is available in dry, wet and stew, and with different protein options to help fosters and new adopters introduce their kittens to different forms of food, setting them up for long-term success.' Join Us to Help Save More Kittens Whether you're ready to foster or looking for other ways to support, there's never been a more crucial time to open your home to kittens in need or support your local shelter. Here's how you can help: About Hill's Pet Nutrition Founded more than 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill's Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill's is dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with nearly 200 veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill's Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday wellness product line, Hill's Science Diet, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products and nutritional philosophy, visit Media Contact Ariana Brancato, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HILL'S PET NUTRITION AND HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCHER DEEPEN COLLABORATION TO ADVANCE PET MICROBIOME SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
New web portal launched to give researchers unprecedented access to microbiome data to improve pet and human health OVERLAND PARK, Kan., May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of Pet Appreciation Week (June 1-7), Hill's Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-led nutrition, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researcher Dr. Curtis Huttenhower are proud to announce a strengthened collaboration and launch of a comprehensive new web portal for the One Health Microbiome Resource (OHMR). The web portal serves as a central resource across academia and industry, fostering dialogue and providing valuable resources, including standardized protocols and computational tools, to study the role of the microbiome in maintaining pet health and understanding disease. It also provides the first centralized repository for studies of the pet gut microbiome, featuring over 2,000 samples spanning diverse demographics and clinical diagnoses. This combination of information, data, and resources will help to fuel groundbreaking research in this critical area. The free exchange of knowledge within the scientific community fosters collaboration and advances microbiome science by paving the way for new nutritional strategies and therapeutic interventions. "The launch of the OHMR portal is a testament to the power of collaboration, allowing us to accelerate the pace of scientific research and to translate its findings more rapidly into benefits for both pets and their owners," said Dr. Huttenhower, Professor of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at Harvard Chan School. "We all love our pets, and understanding their microbiomes can provide insight into not only their health, but our own as well. Our pets' diets and environments represent a microcosm of human nutrition, and as a result, pets' microbiomes are a particularly powerful tool for diagnostics, preventative care, and ensuring treatment effectiveness through interactions with food and medicine." Building on the team's pioneering work to create the largest and most comprehensive profiles of human and pet microbiomes publicly available, Dr. Huttenhower and Hill's continue to leverage their combined expertise to unlock new insights into the interconnected health of pets, their owners, and the environment by integrating these data with information for pet parents, scientists, and veterinarians on how to interpret and get involved with this exciting area of research. "For over a decade, Hill's has been deeply invested in pet microbiome research, and the OHMR represents a significant step forward in our commitment to improving pet health," said Dave Baloga, Executive Vice President of Science & Technology at Hill's Pet Nutrition. "This dynamic hub provides the scientific community with unprecedented access to data, propelling groundbreaking research and driving innovation in pet nutrition. We're already seeing the OHMR's impact, and we're incredibly excited about its potential to transform the lives of pets for years to come." Using OHMR data, Hill's Pet Nutrition has already funded several groundbreaking studies revealing new insights into the pet gut microbiome. One published recently in the International Society of Microbial Ecology (ISME) Journal details the OHMR's collection of companion animal gut metagenomes, deepening our understanding of the microscopic world within our pets. This research has significant implications for understanding diseases, supporting the immune system, and even influencing specific microbial chemical activities. An additional study in the journal mSystems, using information from the OHMR, provides the first understanding of how different dietary fiber sources can improve canine health, consistent with findings from human health studies and opening the potential for new product development. With a 75-year legacy of science-led nutrition, Hill's Pet Nutrition is pioneering advancements in pet microbiome research. Recognizing the profound impact of the gut microbiome on pet health and disease, Hill's leverages its world-class Global Pet Nutrition Center and leading-edge technology to explore how nutrition can optimize the microbiome for improved digestion and overall well-being. Scientific research has shown that elements of the gut microbiome can influence both the process and the results of pets' digestion, and Hill's is at the forefront of developing nutritional strategies to support these beneficial microbial communities. "It's all connected – our pets' health, our health, and the world around us," said Baloga. "The gut and skin microbiomes of pets and humans are surprisingly overlapping, and these tiny organisms play a huge role in everything from digestion and immunity to behavior and energy levels. When these microbiomes are disturbed and lose their normal ecological balance, it can lead to all sorts of problems. That's why Hill's is so committed to understanding how diet, disease, and the environment affect the pet microbiome. This new research will give us the knowledge we need to help our pets live healthier, happier lives, and we're excited to share these discoveries with pet owners everywhere." To learn more about this important work and its potential to improve the lives of pets and their families, visit About Hill's Pet Nutrition Founded more than 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill's Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill's is dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with nearly 200 veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill's Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday wellness product line, Hill's Science Diet, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products and nutritional philosophy, visit Media Contact: Stephanie Peplinski, View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition Sign in to access your portfolio
